Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, and Kawasaki have joined hands to set up a new company in Japan with energy company Eneos called Gachaco. The Gachaco battery swapping system will use the mobile power pack from Honda and plans to launch battery exchange stations for electric motorcycles and mopeds in Tokyo, with the service expanding to other major Japanese cities from autumn 2022. The battery swapping stations will be located in suitable places such as railway stations and Eneos filling stations. The plan is to re-use and recycle the batteries by building Battery as a Service (BaaS) platform for electric mobility.
Also Read: Gogoro Passes 200 Million Battery Swapping Mark
The Gachaco battery swapping service will be rolled out later in 2022, and will be limited to the Japanese market to begin with.
Eneos has a 51 per cent stake in the new company, Honda 34 per cent and Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha five per cent each. The battery packs offered by Gachaco won't be just for electric bikes. In the future, besides electric motorcycles, Gachaco will promote the use of standardised swappable batteries for other applications, such as storage batteries installed at commercial facilities and private homes.
Also Read: Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, and Kawasaki Collaborating On Electric Standards
Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha already agreed on standards for swappable batteries and replacement systems as part of the Swappable Battery Consortium for Electric Motorcycles Motorcycles and Light Electric Vehicles, which was established in April 2019. Yamaha already has an ongoing partnership with Gogoro's battery swapping system in Taiwan. Despite the Japanese Big Four coming together, Gogoro seems to be leading the way in battery swapping technology, with partnerships with several major brands across the world, including India's Hero MotoCorp.
